Police determine teen missing since 1954 was slain

A Jane Doe buried in Colorado 55 years ago, is found to be Dorothy Gay Howard, who disappeared from Arizona and her family has been looking for her since. Marlene Howard Ashman, the last living member of the immediate family was the sister of Dorothy Howard. As Marlene stated, “All these 55 years, I guess I learned as a child to put it in an abstract form so I could deal with it; It’s easier to accept.” Boulder County Sheriff’s Detective Steve Ainsworth, which is the lead investigator in the existing case, stated Dorothy died of a blunt-force trauma. Her body was found a week after the murder, the nearby animals had destroyed any identifying marks as fingers and face. Ainsworth believes that the evidence found so far is leading to the serial killer Harvey Glatman, who was executed in 1959 in California. Glatman had confessed to killing three women, he also served time in the Colorado state prison for assaults on women, which one was only one fourth of a mile from where Ms. Howards body was found. Do to the marks on her body, and reviewing evidence that was at the scene; the theory is Dorothy Howard tried getting away and Glatman hit her with his car. It is up to Ainsworth to prove this theory now. Marlene said her sister was extremely strong-willed and lived quite a life in her 18 years, including married twice. “Once she decided on a course, it would take heaven and earth to stop her.”


This story was fascinating; I found it to be most interesting. When I was done my first thought was that poor woman all those years not knowing if her sister abandoned her, was she dead, alive? Then my thoughts rush to Dorothy the victim of this tragic circumstance, the pain, knowing that she is a fighter, you know this woman didn’t go down without a fight. I was saddened for Marlene her sister and happy also that there is partial closer if anything for Dorothy.


The worry, the wondering of this is only half over, as Ainsworth stated, “"We know who she is, but there's still another mystery and that may be the biggest mystery of all, and that's who did it.” This is what got my gut just turning, the unknown. I am the type of person that can take anything on as long as I know it is coming, but to be Marlene and always wonder, never knowing. Then one day out of the blue to know only half, to me that would be as dangling food over a starving person’s mouth. “I want more!”


I am not the type of person to lie, there is several times my sister and I have not gotten along in any manner. We are different in many ways, physical, mental, educational, responsibility. But that makes us human. The more I read this article on http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_discovering_jane_doe the angrier I got, the more I felt Marlene’s pain. How can you get justice from a man who is already dead, how can you close this? When they finish their investigation and possibly connect her to the Glatman murders, there will be some serious healing for her. It is sad this case wasn’t closed 55 years ago, it is sad our technology was not advanced enough to solve this crime at the time it was committed. My condolences go out to Dorothy Howards family for their loss and for their many years of worrying. Also, congratulation goes out to Steve Ainsworth for the determination in helping this poor woman find her way home.